Here we go again: Dubious render claims to show Galaxy Note 2

Just as it was with the Galaxy S3, here we have our first allegedly leaked render of Samsung's next, next big thing, the Galaxy Note 2. It's a large, white phone with an S3-like three-button setup, and a 16:10 aspect ratio screen. And... that's it. There's not much to go on here, and we have to say this bears all the hallmarks of fabricated or fan-made mockup. (When's the last time we saw an official promo shot of a sexy new phone with a blank screen?)

GSMArena, which was sent the image anonymously, says its source reports a familiar set of rumored specs for the device, including a 5.5-inch SuperAMOLED+ (RGB) display, an 8MP camera and a slightly higher-clocked Exynos 4 Quad chip. At this stage we'd be surprised if the Note 2 strayed too far from this spec list, but that does nothing to confirm the accuracy of the image.

So this might be the Galaxy Note 2, but really, it's probably not. The abundance of bullcrap Galaxy S3 renders in the run up to that phone's release has left us jaded and skeptical. Whatever the case, stay tuned for the real thing in a couple of weeks, as we'll be live from Berlin for the second Samsung Mobile Unpacked event of the year, where the real Note 2 will make its debut.

Phones4U announces the LG Optimus 4X HD, coming Aug. 27

Pre-orders start today, with Cheryl Cole tickets thrown in for good measure

Independent British retailer Phones4U has announced that it'll be launching the LG Optimus 4X HD in the UK later this month, and that it'll start taking pre-orders from today. The 4X HD is LG's international flagship for 2012, with a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU, running Android 4.0 and LG's new Optimus UI 3.0.

Phones4U will make the phone available from Aug. 27 on a wide range of tariffs on leading UK mobile networks. If you want a free 4X HD, you'll be able to get one on contracts starting at £26 per month. SIM-free prices aren't available just yet, but based on European prices, we can probably expect something in the £450-500 area. The black version of the phone will be offered initially, followed at a later date by the white model.

To sweeten the deal, Phones4U is also offering the first 50 pre-orderers a pair of tickets to see British singer Cheryl Cole perform live this Autumn at the LG Arena in Birmingham. P4U points out the tickets are worth £100, presumably so you know where to set your eBay starting price.

In any case, it's good to see the 4X HD getting a wider European release, following its debut in Germany a few months back. LG's definitely upped its game in the past few months, and the 4X is a phone that deserves the chance to succeed. For more, check out our initial review of the handset, linked below.

How to hack your Nexus 7 the right way

For many, the Nexus 7 will be their first experience with one of Google's own branded Android devices. If you're interested in hacks of any sort on your phone or tablet, there really is no other option than to go Nexus. As we like to point out, we're constantly amazed by the posts our forum members put up when it comes to hacks, rooting and loading custom ROMs. This one is no exception.

Forum moderator dmmarck has put together a fantastic guide to help you along the path of all things Nexus 7, with step-by-step tutorials for all of your hacking needs. From the basic bootloader unlock and root, to more advanced flashing of custom ROMs and mods, it's all covered here. The best part about having a guide like this is the continued discussion and support after the first post. Any questions or comments you have can go right there to be answered. The sky is the limit when it comes to hacking a Nexus device, but remember it's always nice to have a way to get back to stock when things get a little out of hand. Thankfully, there's another fantastic post in the forums to help you do just that.

So let's go hit the forums and hack the Nexus 7 -- and even learn a thing or two along the way.

Google officially announces Motorola downsizing, will take a $275 million charge in Q3

Google this evening confirmed in an SEC filing that it plans to cut some 4,000 employees from the recent acquisition of Motorola -- about a fifth of the company's workforce. And it's going to cost Google some cash to do so -- to the tune of $275 million, and Google expects most of that charge to be taken in the third quarter. Google says it plans to close some 30 facilities as well, and "simplify its mobile product portfolio, shifting the emphasis from feature phones to more innovative and profitable devices."

Shedding 4,000 bodies and 30 buildings won't immediately turn things around, though. Google correctly notes that Motorola has lost money 14 out of the last 16 quarters -- that's all but six months in the last four years -- and that while these cuts are a "key step" on the road to profitability, "investors should expect to see significant revenue variability ... for several quarters."

This affects real people, of course. Google says "generous" severance packages will be provided, as well as job placement services. Regardless, that's still 20 percent of Motorola work force that's about to be out of work. But if there's a company willing to treat layoffs with a little dignity, we're willing to bet it's Google.

T-Mobile support has let everyone know that an optional Android 4.0.5 update for the Galaxy Tab 7-plus should be ready and waiting in Samsung Kies tomorrow. Before we go any further, we know it says 4.0.5 -- that could be a typo or it could be a specially-built version from Samsung for the Tab 7-plus. I've reached out, and will let everyone know when I hear back.

What we do know is that it's Ice Cream Sandwich, which T-Mobile and Samsung feel is a drastic enough change in the user experience to make it an optional install versus pushing it out to everyone. We hate Kies as much as you all do, but we like choice so we won't ding them too much this time.

Anyhoo, you'll be updating to Android version 4.0.5 / Software version T869UVLG7, which will be required to access Music Hub after August 27, 2012. You'll need to have the latest version of Kies, and at least a 50-percent charge, See the full details at the source link.

2012 Google Nexus phones, S3 in black, what do you all think? [From the Forums]

Just in case you missed out on some of the Android news today, now is the time to go ahead and get yourself fully caught up. Here on the blogs and in the Android Central Forums there is plenty to talk about. Have some questions? Need some help or just looking to chat Android? You know where to go, check out some of the threads below to get started.

LG says the Optimus Vu will hit the US this quarter

While none of the carriers in the U.S. have stepped forward, LG has said that the Optimus Vu (check out our review) will be destined for the United States market this quarter. This aligns rather well with the reports of a Verizon branded version, sporting Big Red's LTE radio bands and it's unique 4:3 aspect ratio.

With the limited release (primarily confined to Asian markets) the Vu hasn't made a significant splash in the Android pool. Dropping the Ice Cream Sandwich running 5-incher with digitized pen input on the Verizon network could change all that. Of course just because it's been seen and mentioned doesn't make it so (hello there, Verizon Nexus One!) so until we see it on some store shelves we still have to call it a bit of a rumor.

Hopefully, LG can push the Vu into the U.S. market, as more choices is always better than not having them.

Acer Cloudmobile goes up for pre-order in the UK for £285

The Acer Cloudmobile was first brought to the worlds attention back at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Fast forward six months, and the device has finally become available to pre-order in the UK. Despite having a strange name, the Cloudmobile potentially offers good value for money at this price point.

Online retailer, Expansys, is offering the Cloudmobile SIM-free and unlocked for £284.99. For that you get a really good looking smartphone, with Android 4.0 on board -- complete with on-screen buttons -- 720p 4.3-inch display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB on board storage. Camera wise we're looking at an 8MP rear shooter with LED flash. Compared to the high-end devices we've seen launched at, and since MWC, the Cloudmobile might seem like a bit of a non-starter. At this price point though, it sits nicely into the mid-range. Let's not also forget that Acer won a prestigious design award for this device.

At present, Expansys expects to begin shipping the Cloudmobile to pre-order customers from September 5.

Sony Xperia S to get a new color, dark silver added to the lineup

Another day, another batch of Sony related news. For once however, this latest piece of news concerns an existing device -- the current flagship to the 2012 Xperia line, the Sony Xperia S. Until now, the Xperia S has only been available in two different colors -- black and white. Sony has announced today a third color choice, imaginatively titled "Dark Silver."

OK, so the name might not be that inspiring, and for many the device itself may provoke a similar reaction. It's a good looking thing though, and this latest color choice just might be the best yet. After all, who doesn't want their phone to look good? No word on availability yet though, we're just told to "keep your eyes peeled."

At this point in time we're finding it difficult to get excited for any current Sony devices. We're a lot more excited to see -- for real at least -- the excessively leaked new Xperia devices, which we expect to see unveiled in a couple of weeks at IFA 2012 in Berlin.

Android 4.0 now available to LG Optimus 4G LTE owners on Bell

With its American relative the LG Nitro HD already having received its update, LG Optimus 4G LTE owners on Bell in Canada have had to wait a little bit longer. But no more, according to a tweet sent out by from the official Bell Twitter account. LG Optimus 4G LTE owners can go ahead and grab Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich through system updates.

HTC Rezound getting another update

There's another OTA package for the HTC Rezound out in the wilds of the Internet, and quite frankly nobody knows what's going on with it. We (and likely everyone else) have reached out to Verizon, who hasn't yet responded with news of anything new, so we have to roll with Internet wisdom on this one. Scary, I know.

We do know that the update has a new radio, new recovery, new kernel, and updates in the firmware itself. What we don't know is what the update brings new to the table, or what it might have fixed. Some users are less-than-happy with the ICS update from earlier in the month, so there very well could be some bug and stability fixes. There's also the global roaming capability that Verizon has promised for this summer, so maybe it's there along with the new radios -- there is a setting in the options for Preferred Network to be Global now.

We won't know for sure until Verizon posts the changes, or enough people get the update to verify the suspicions. That's where you come in -- if you've received the OTA (or flashed it manually via directions at XDA), sing out in the Rezound forums. Help get this one figured out!

If you've ever been a road trip with a child, then you know it's sometimes not always easy keeping them entertained, especially if it's a really long trip. To help parents deal with that, Sprint has now made available the Disney Junior Sprint ID pack. It's loaded up with content that kids are sure to love and well, maybe even some parents as well:

Disney Junior Games: Keep kids entertained and engaged with games from DisneyJunior.com featuring Jake and the Never Land Pirates – including Izzy’s Pirate Puzzles and Jake’s Treasure Hunt.

Disney Junior Facebook: Parents can get the latest tips, recipes and sneak peeks on what is happening on all of the Disney Junior Facebook pages.

Disney Junior Videos: Your child can watch select episodes of their favorite Disney Junior shows on demand. Full episodes of Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins are among those available using the Sprint TV app.

If you're a parent on the go and need something to keep the younguns calm, you can find the Disney Junior Sprint ID pack available for free on eligible plans and devices from Sprint. Full details are listed below in the press release for you all.

A couple weeks back we saw the Motorola Droid 4 in the midst of it's soak test procedure for Ice Cream Sandwich, and today it appears that the update is pushing, at least for a few. Officially, the support page lists the update as "coming soon", but we've gotten a report or two that it's already inbound. We'll go over the changes in a bit, but it's worth mentioning that the build of Blur (or not Blur) has been updated to the same version we saw in the RAZR's Ice Cream Sandwich update. We like it when things get refined, so we're not complaining, but if you get a bit lost with the new look and feel hit the forums for some help. Moving on to the details --

Device is enabled for Global Roaming.

Integration of new version of Backup Assistant Plus.

Mobile IM has been removed.

Color for Facebook application is preloaded.

Enhanced Customer Support with Verizon Remote Diagnostics.

Improved Stability and connectivity with Email.

Successfully download and save ringtones.

Mobile Hotspot – Improved connectivity.

Reduced device resets and power cycling.

Camera quality has been improved for better pictures.

Improved My Gallery performance.

Voice Mail Notification shows the correct of unread messages.

Updated Mobile Hotspots Icon.

Visual Voice Mail shortcut on home screen changed to a standard voicemail shortcut.

Clear Contact pictures are displayed for phonebook contacts.

The version number is now 6.16.217.XT894.Verizon.en.US, and the update checks in at about in at 360MB. We're not sure how widespread the rollout is just yet, but to check if you have it ready and waiting hit the settings and look in About phone > system update. When you see it, be sure to sound off and let folks know how it went for you. Hit the source link below for the full details as well as detailed update instructions.

For all you deal hunters out there who like nice things but aren't really looking to buy in when prices are high, you're holding out for a NOOK Tablet or NOOK Color may have paid off. Barnes & Noble has announced a price drop on both the NOOK Tablet or NOOK Color, just in time for back to school.

NOOK Tablet 8GB for $179

NOOK Tablet 16GB for $199

NOOK Color for $149

The pricing is in effect across all of Barnes & Noble 700 locations. Barnes & Noble hasn't noted if the price drop is permanent or just a sale so, if you're looking to pick one best to go ahead and do so as soon as possible. You'll find the full press release below.